Halab Poem by Nassy Fesharaki

Halab

I wish I were like you
Thinking of a girl to…
And fashion and menus
I wish I had never left village
Never wore uniform, joined army
But did and flew planes, aviator, passenger
Got involved and with it opened eyes
On changes, politics of Europe, Africa
USA and Russia.

I wish I had not flown
To Yemen and Oman
Pakistan and Amman
Lesotho and Kenya
To Sudan and Durban
And Egypt, VIP in Cairo.

I wish I was blind in mountains
Handicapped, gari-run

It burns me to know of the Mazar
That looting and murder, how was done
And Tahrir, and ISIS; Taliban…

I took gifts of our Shah
And soldiers to the war
I saw men, and their bows.

How tired am I of…
Politics, ambitious and corrupt…
And mostly of ourselves
Abused pawns…
And looters, like ISIS, Taliban
They copy invaders like White House
Torture and take bodies of victims
Throw them in the sea and the dumps.

I have seen young soldiers of Iran
In Halab, Aleppo, Syria and Mazar
And Yemen (in Shah's time…)
When involved alive to; brought back…?